WEBSTER defines procrastination as ‘delaying or putting things off’. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.  Guilty as charged.

Doesn’t a day at the beach trump almost anything?

If I’m dreading the thought of sitting down and writing a certain scene, or starting the rewrites of a current WIP, then I’ll ALWAYS discover something else to occupy my time. Designing a book cover, researching a particularly interesting topic for an upcoming scene, or reading a favorite author’s latest release. All of them  enjoyable, but totally counterproductive to my own project.

How do I overcome the dastardly procrastination bug when it bites?  Break the to-do list into smaller more manageable pieces. Instead of flopping down, gluing butt to chair, and attempting to write the entire troublesome scene at one sitting, I’ll plot the scene one day, write a rough draft the next, come back on day three and fill in the missing pieces, and edit and rewrite on day four. And voila, it’s done. I may revisit it again two or three times, but the hardest part is finished.

Procrastination fouls up our personal lives, too. How many of us have THAT closet we’ve been meaning to clean out for ages? Have you peeked into the family junk drawer lately? You do realize the stuff multiplies when you’re not looking. When was the last time you cleaned the garage? Your linen closet? The DVD drawer? I know!

Let’s make a pact to tackle those dreaded jobs this summer. When it’s raining outside and a day at the beach is impossible, or the sun is so hot you’d rather have root canal work done than venture outside, choose something that’s been on the to-do list for months now. If possible, get the kids involved, too. Just get started!

When it’s complete, sit down and enjoy a tumbler of iced tea or a glass of wine—flavored water or a diet soda for the kids—and bask in your accomplishment. Then tackle another job. By summer’s end, your to-do list will be a crumpled piece of paper in the garbage can under the kitchen sink. Oh, yeah, clean under there, too.

Have a great summer and make it a productive one! But please excuse me now. I have a scene to write!

Bandit Creek’s star reporter is about to have her life turned upside down!

Liz Templeton lives a quiet life with her mother, her mother’s best friend, her boss, and–oh yeah–the ghost of her teenage daughter. When her ex-husband returns to town to hunt for the legendary Lost Lake treasure, she doesn’t count on the pair of matchmaking mothers who are planning her wedding or her daughter’s obsession with the man who might be her dad.

Liz has one chance to stop her family from driving her insane…and falling head over heels in love with her ex isn’t part of the plan.

# # #

Happy Canada Day!

To my fellow Canadians

Silent Waters (July 1, 2012) – Trip Williams

For Jake McCord, Bandit Creek comes with an expiration date. But when Jake starts to
find the bodies of women, whom the town folks have never seen before, that expiration
date may become a life sentence.

“You’re fired!”

Donald Trump turned those two simple words into an iconic statement. If my boss fired me today, I’d be in big trouble. Why? Because I’m the boss!

As an Indie author, I’m the person in charge, making all the decisions. I bask in the glory when the decision is right; I admit to my mistake if a decision is wrong. Is being your own boss, running your own publishing business, a huge responsibility? You bet it is! Some days the whole idea is absolutely daunting, especially for a newbie.

But Indie publishing provides author perks, too.

I enjoy the freedom to self-publish any book to which I own exclusive publishing rights. As any author knows, this is huge! No waiting for weeks, or even months, to hear back about submissions. No rejections from editors or agents. No arguing with publishers about plot, theme, setting, characters. My work is my baby, and I am a very protective mother.

Scheduling publications is no longer an issue. Finish the book including beta reading, proofing, and line editing to the point of perfection. I admit usually one or two little things are missed, and they can be easily fixed. But your book should be as grammatically error-free as possible. Create an amazing cover design yourself or hire someone. Then just format your baby (or hire someone) and upload it for sale!  Done deal. No waiting for your turn on someone else’s timeline. Write another book, and repeat.

Sounds simple.

When I first considered self-publishing my own work, this newbie was about as technology challenged as they come. In truth, I spent endless hours learning the ins and outs of Indie publishing, but I’ve only scratched the surface. Don’t get me started on the issue of keeping up with the ever-changing industry. My fellow authors in CaRWA (local chapter of Romance Writers of America) helped me immensely, and I would encourage every author to join a writing group. Keep looking until you find a group that ‘fits’. I enrolled in an online formatting course, found a line editor that worked for steak dinners, hired a cover artist who charged a reasonable fee, and jumped into the deep end of the Indie publishing pool. I haven’t looked back since.

Don’t plan on making millions; it probably won’t happen. But with a concerted effort, who knows? The next step is concentrating on marketing and learning as much about promotion as possible, and then putting that knowledge into practice to generate more and more sales. I’m rapidly approaching this part of the process. And of course, writing more books! The secret to Indie publishing is getting lots of good books out there in order to attract readers and keep them coming back for more.

Hey, all successful authors started with that first book, that first sale, that first 5-star review.

Why not me?

Why not you?

A Night to Remember (Contemporary Romance) – June 15, 2012

Bandit Creek native, Savannah Vaughn, returns to her small, picturesque hometown to help care for her ailing grandparents, and hasn’t once regretted her decision to leave her glamorous, fast-paced life in the Big Apple behind. After being callously dumped by her ex, Savannah throws herself into her work to forget the pain, the heartache that seems to engulf her. Savannah’s been burned so many times by love, she’s given up all hope of ever finding Mr. Right, or having a family of her own.

Then, suave, charismatic businessman, Michael Mosely walks into the restaurant she manages, and turns her quiet, uneventful life upside down!

Her new boss is a lean, muscled hottie with dashing good looks, and every time he smiles at Savannah, her knees go weak. Michael is all wrong for her. He’s a player, a master of seduction, the kind of man who breaks hearts. Or is he? Can the reformed bachelor prove to Savannah his feelings are real? Or will her fears and insecurities keep them apart?

Read an excerpt.

by Brenda Sinclair

Cassidy Donahue’s dream of becoming partner in her father’s Chicago law firm is shattered by her father’s selfish betrayal. Devastated and disillusioned, Cassidy escapes to Anchorage, Alaska to start a new life on her own terms.

While the corporate lawyer works as a cocktail waitress in a western-themed bar, she befriends an inquisitive and handsome bartender.  Although attracted to Clayton Morrison, Cassidy fears he’ll reveal her whereabouts to her father if he discovers her true identity.

A past relationship left Clayton disillusioned and distrustful of women. But Clayton and Cassidy’s mutual attraction to each other results in a night of passion together. Cassidy’s relentless efforts to avoid detection only create more questions for Clayton who’s convinced she’s lying about something.

But Clayton is hiding a tightly-guarded secret of his own. Mr. Donahue confronts his daughter in the bar and insists she return home.  And then he discovers Clayton’s true identity.

When Clayton and Cassidy learn that nothing about their relationship is what it seems, will the couple everyone believes to be a perfect match be willing to overcome their secrets?  Or will distasteful accusations and hurt feelings threaten to ruin any chance for a future together.

EXCERPT HERE

Buy on Amazon http://amzn.to/M9jeio

Buy on Smashwords